There is no shortage of great ideas in a Rotary Club. This being the case, then why are Rotary Clubs across Australasia struggling? Warwick Cavell, Management Consultant and President-Elect of RC Central Melbourne proposes, what in retrospect seems the obvious answer. Over that last 12 months Warwick has contributed his substantial knowledge, talent, and time, to the President-Elect Leadership Development(PELD) program and is now contributing to the Strengthening Our Clubs Workshopsattended by Katrina Flinn and myself last Sunday.

Warwick postulates that the problems clubs face are caused by lack of effective processes, not a shortage of good ideas. Clubs need to be focussing their energy on developing and refining their processes. The fundamental process he is advocating is not 'rocket science', but common sense: that elusive and uncommon quality.

Warwick advises that clubs need to start by clearly identifying firstly WHAT they want to achieve; then WHERE they are now; and only after these questions have been definitively answered, should they be looking for HOW to get from where they are, to where they want to be. Too often people spring to the HOW without a clear direction (i.e. the WHAT from WHERE) in mind. Furthermore, it is just not any process that will work. It is an effective process that needs to be identified.

Recently Warwick used this absurd illustration. Destination - door, current position – desk. The process to get from the desk to the door is obvious - walk. But what process of walking? Three paces with the left leg followed by one with the right? Of course not. That would result in an unceremonious 'face plant'. There is a walking process that works best - one foot after the other.

What is the relevance of all of this? If the Rotary Club of Hawthorn is to become a stronger club, to attract more active members and to engage our current members most effectively, we need to take time out to apply our minds to EXACTLY where we are, EXACTLY where we want to be and then, and only then, think hard about the processes that will most help us make the transition. This will take some dedicated time. But the time is worth the effort and the time to start is now.

The alternative is to keep doing the same thing, and remember, 'the first sign of madness is to continue to do the same thing and expect to get a different result'. I call on all of our Club members to jump on board and assist in the development and implementation of effective club processes. More will be said about how we might approach this project in the weeks ahead.

Our speaker this week, Vicki Mustafa, is the eldest of five children, born in Footscray with a Muslim father and Christian mother. She was brought up as a Muslim, and became a Christian at the age of 21 when she was a trainee teacher. She was a Christian missionary in the Middle East for 20 years, and is now a Pastor in Glen Waverley.

Vicki stated that to understand the minds of women in the Middle East, it is necessary to understand Islam, and she quoted a number of verses from the Koran which describe the superiority of men over women.

She gave four reasons why these women have difficulty in leaving Islam:

1) Since birth women are not encouraged to discuss religion, just to obey.

2) Many countries punish anyone leaving Islam with the death penalty: in others it is seen as bringing dishonour on the family, and honour killings often ensue.

3) Women are brought up to believe in a God and an afterlife, and that submission is required for this.

4) Men can readily divorce a wife, and the woman then loses her children and has to return to her parents in disgrace.

Vicki described why most Muslims come to other countries: for peace, prosperity and security, and to avoid fear and punishment. She deftly fielded our questions and Dr John Carre-Riddell thanked Vicki for her frank and enlightening exposé.

Little did we know when our Honorary Member and Parliamentary Member for Hawthorn, Josh Frydenberg MP turned up to help at our recent tree-planting day at the Fritsch Holzer Park, that he would soon be our new Australian Federal Treasurer, and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party.

Congratulations Josh on your new position!

Our photos show Josh doing some planting with President Ian and PP Katrina, and later some quality control at the barbecue.

The human body is an amazing thing. It is capable of creating life, surviving horrible diseases and accidents, and tasting all kinds of good (and equally bad) food). But human bodies are also susceptible to great tragedies, from freak accidents to medical mysteries. Understanding your body and how it works is vital to not only surviving, but also to live longer.

“A person who is not very active can start by making small changes, such as replacing soft drinks with water and adding a 10-minute walk to a daily routine,” Carly Schuna writes for Livestrong.org.

And understanding your body and the benefits of good health are vital for thriving communities as well. “Better health is central to human happiness and well-being,” the World Health Organization’s website reports. “It also makes an important contribution to economic progress, as healthy populations live longer, are more productive, and save more.”

So how much do you know about your body? What you don’t know will surprise you, like how 50 percent of your hand’s strength lives in your little finger. Well, if you want to know about your body (and why wouldn’t you?), we have you covered. Here are 50 facts about your body that you probably aren’t aware of, but should be.

The Salvo Hawks narrowly lost in their Grand Final match against Melton this week. The Shadow reports that some opponents were not quite playing to the spirit of the game, and that they looked suspiciously like ex-rugby players. “Big, rough boofheads” was a comment he heard in the background. Whatever the case may be, we commend the Salvo Hawks on their sporting season, and wish them continued success next year.

The Salvo Hawks, at their final training session.

The Shadow has been doing some self-analysis lately. Perhaps you are able to assist.

Kim D'Arcy always seeks to finalize numbers by Monday 8.30am by collating responses about attendance at the next meeting. So please try to email back to her by that time; and, at the same time, forewarn of any guests. (Predicting our numbers as closely as possible helps to minimize our catering costs.) kimcco@tpg.com.au